Spanish juggernaut Barcelona had a tough time in its Champions League match on Tuesday. The Spanish side traveled to St. James Park to face Newcastle United on a chilly evening. When everything was said and done, the Catalan squad eked out a draw.
But through about 94 minutes, it looked like an upset was in the making.
The game was fairly even throughout, with both sides trading chances. The game lacked the sort of overall dominance from Barcelona, despite a 55-to-45 possession rate.
Then, Newcastle delighted the home fans with a strike from Harvey Barnes in the 86th minute. The Player of the Match delivered, seemingly putting the home side ahead for good.
However, things would take a bit of a dramatic turn. A hard tackle in the box in injury time led to a gift penalty for Barcelona. Lamine Yamal converted, evening the score.
The penalty itself was controversial to say the least. Meanwhile, the faces on the Newcastle faithful told the story. What was jubilation for about eight or nine minutes ended in disappointment.
Yes, the English side walked away with a draw. But that situation only adds to the pressure Newcastle United will face on March 18 at Camp Nou. They’ll need to go into hostile territory to pull out a victory.
The good news is that another solid performance could propel Newcastle to a spot in the next round of the Champions League.
As for Barcelona, they’ll be playing on their home pitch. Beating the Spanish side there won’t be easy, but there’s at least a chance.
Small Detail Cost Barcelona a Goal
It seemed that Barcelona had kept Newcastle in check for most of the night. Beyond a few breakouts, the English squad didn’t really make much headway.
But as Catalan defender Pau Cubarsi declared, it was a small detail that led to Newcastle’s tally.
“A small detail cost us a goal, but we have very dangerous players up front who can cause problems at any moment, and that’s what happened. Dani [Olmo] came on, did what he had to do, won a penalty, and we got a draw, which is a good result. At home, we have to go all out.”
Indeed, Barcelona will throw everything at Newcastle on their home pitch. The second leg should provide plenty of excitement on both sides.
Newcastle Believes They Can Move On
As for Barnes, he was optimistic about the result. While the Magpies didn’t get the victory, they pushed Barcelona to the brink.
The Player of the Match stated his optimism for another solid game.
“We kept the ball really well tonight and limited them with opportunities. It’s going to be difficult, but tonight we showed what we can do. We were so close. The tie’s still level and we believe [we can reach the quarter-finals].”
While the odds are against them, there’s no reason to believe that Newcastle can’t stun Barcelona on their home pitch.
This portion of the Champions League bracket is far from clear. But whatever happens next Wednesday, fans will be in for a treat.
Barcelona Salvages Champions League Match on Gift Penalty Kick